Nethanna Nestham gives a fillip to handloom industry’s revival: Collector Venkataramana Reddy

Venkatagiri/ Chittoor (Tirupati district): District Collector K Venkataramana Reddy said that Nethanna Nestham programme has given a boost to the handloom industry and helped for its revival with Rs 24,000 being received every year by eligible weavers. During his inaugural address at the CM’s programme held in Venkatagiri on Friday, the Collector said that about 10 weavers from the town have received President of India’s awards. Handloom and textile sector in Tirupati district has about 4,250 handloom workers in the district with 15,475 persons having been getting their livelihood directly or indirectly. Venkatagiri cotton, silk and zari sarees, Srikalahasti handloom and Kalamkari products, Narayanavanam sarees and Chennur cotton sarees are famous not only in the state but also abroad.

For training and technical knowledge in the handloom industry, students who have passed the class X and are interested in handlooms are being trained with three-year diploma courses at the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) College in Venkatagiri town under the auspices of the state government. The Collector said the weavers got the fifth instalment of financial assistance directly into their bank accounts with which the weavers’ families have benefited a lot.

Venkatagiri constituency YSRCP in-charge and State Community Development Board Chairman Nedurumalli Ram Kumar Reddy said ‘the CM is true and his words are true’. The CM has fulfilled his promises by implementing ‘Navaratnalu’. He asked the CM for providing permissions to Althurpadu project and declare the Poleramma Jatara as a State festival. Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy, Minister of Forests, Power, Science & Technology and Mines Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, Agriculture Minister K Govardhan Reddy, Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath participated in the Nethanna Nestham programme.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy, DIG RS Ammireddy, SP P Parameswar Reddy, MLCs, Pothula Sunitha, Kalyan Chakravarthy, Parvataneni Chandra Shekhar Reddy, Nellore City MLA Anil Kumar Yadav, MLAs K Sanjivaiah, K Adimulam, V Vara Prasad, Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy, Mekapati Vikram Reddy, Chittoor ZP Chairman Govindappa Srinivasulu, Nellore ZP Chairperson Anam Arunamma, Municipal Chairman Dharani and others were also present.

He received representations from the people and directed the officials to look into them. Later, the CM reached Tirupati airport by helicopter and left for Vijayawada by a special flight.

In Chittoor, MLA A Srinivasulu hailed Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for committed to the welfare of all sections. Distributing the financial assistance to selected beneficiaries under the YSR Nethanna Nestham scheme at a programme held on Friday, he reiterated that it was the need of hour to protect the interests of handloom workers, who were in dire straits. He suggested the eligible handloom weavers to submit a representation in their respective Sachivalayams for getting the financial aid.

District Collector S Shanmohan said that 194 handloom weavers from the district received the aid towards Nethanna Nestham. He said 3,256 handloom weavers were receiving pension to a tune of Rs 2,750 per month each. He said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for developing cluster for handloom workers in Penumur. On the occasion, the Collector released a cheque for Rs 46 lakh to be credited directly into the accounts of handloom weavers. Mayor B Amuda, YSRCP leaders Sailaja Reddy and Bharathi were present.